After seeing Alexander McQueen's beaded and feathered rhapsody on the runway, we knew we had to get more than a zoom-lens glance at the collection. So off we went, through the winding streets of Paris' bohemian Marais district, and into the tiny white boite—hidden behind a crumbling stone wall—where designer Sarah Burton's latest inventions were lying in wait.

Here's what we discovered from getting this-close to the clothes and accessories that will help define spring's new look.

There's only one Parisian icon who mixed tribal iconography with flapper elements and turned it into fashion: the famous danceuse Josephine Baker. Between the jazz-age touches and the beaded, feathered textures in the show, Baker's style influence was everywhere.

2. The collection's feathered bodices took over a week to hand-stitch.

If you have the patience to sew black seed beads onto a soft-cotton piece of material, then loop thousands of individual white feathers through each and every hole, then you should Facebook Ms. Burton immediately—she might have a job for you.

McQueen's longtime in-house model Polina Kasina deserves an Olympic medal for sporting the striking beaded dress (which also came with a hoop-skirt underneath!). She did so while wearing high plastic-resin heels and a super-serene expression.

The runway shoes were made of leather and specially cast pieces of plastic resin designed to look like candy-colored tortoise shell. (They were so delicate, there were even fears of breakage on the runway, which fortunately didn't happen!)

5. Almost-identical versions of the runway collection will be sold in stores—but they won't be nearly as heavy.

Can you tell the difference between these two jackets? The one seen on the runway weighs three times as much as the other—and was created with crocodile leather and die-cast zippers. The other can be seen in your closet in 2014…